1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to motor vehicles, and more particularly concerns a wheeled motor vehicle which is of low cost and is economical to operate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In view of the ever increasing cost of gasoline, considerable attention has been directed toward the development of “hybrid” vehicles which include a battery powered electric motor that supplements a gasoline engine of generally smaller size than might otherwise be employed for the vehicle. The primary function of the engine is to augment the power provided by the electric motor when additional power is needed, as in acceleration and hill-climbing. The battery is generally re-charged either by a generator which is driven by the vehicle's engine, or by overnight plug-in to a stationary terminal supplied with electrical power.
Another method for re-charging the battery is to employ the vehicle's momentum during braking to operate a generator which feeds electrical current to the battery. Such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,724,165 and elsewhere.
The use of a driver-operated pedaling mechanism to augment the vehicle's power system while driving is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. RE31156 and 6,260,649.
In low cost vehicles that utilize electrical propulsive power, manufacturing economy and compactness of design can be achieved by incorporating the electric motor into the hub of a driving wheel. Such driving wheels, employed with hub motors, are generally centered upon the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, as in straddle-type two-wheeled vehicles and three-wheeled vehicles having a single rear wheel. Typical hub motors, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,974,399; 6,296,072 and 5,691,584 include a stator secured to the vehicle frame, and an interactive rotor mechanically adapted to rotate the driving wheel.
Although the aforesaid innovations are intended to improve fuel economy in a vehicle driven by a gasoline engine, the implementation of such innovations generally results in a vehicle of considerable complexity whose cost outweighs the potential savings in gasoline consumption.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle whose primary propulsion power is supplied by a gasoline engine, and said power is augmented by a battery operated electric motor.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a vehicle of the aforesaid nature having a driver-operated pedaling mechanism which, by way of suitable gearing directly contributes to the propulsion of the vehicle.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a vehicle of the aforesaid nature having hand activated operating controls, thereby freeing the operator's feet for pedaling.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a vehicle of the aforesaid nature amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.